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.PATENTBD DEC. 6

A. H. EMERY.

CARTRIDGE.

APPLICATION FILED MAR. 11, 1903.

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No. 776,652. PATENTED DEG. 6, 1904.

A. EEMBRY. CARTRIDGE.

' APPLICATION FILED MAR-11, 1903. N0 MODEL.

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APPLICATION FILED MAR. 11, 1903.

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A. H. EMERY.

CARTRIDGE.

APPLIGATION FILED MAR.11, 1903.

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APPLICATION FILED MAR.11, 1903.

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PATENTED DEC. 6, 1904. A. H. EMERY.

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ATTORNEYJ UNTTED STATES Patented December 6, 1904.

ALBERT H. EMERY, OF STAMFORD, CONNECTICUT.

CARTRIDGE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 776,652, dated December6, 1904.

Application filed March 11, 1903. Serial No. 147,346. (No model.)

0 all. who/11 it may concern.-

Be it known that I, ALBERT H. EMERY, a citizen of the United States, anda resident of the city of Stamford, county of Fairfield, State ofConnecticut, have invented new and useful Improvements in Cartridges,which invention is fully set forth in the following specification.

\Vhen a cartridge is made up in the usual way by bags of grain-powder,three things happen.

First. The powder is not symmetrically disposed in the chamber of thegun, there usually being much more in the lower half than in the upperhalf of the chamber, causing the powder to burn more rapidly in thelower part of the chamber than in the upper, developing a much greaterpressure on the lower face of the chamber than on theupper when thepowder is violently thrown from the lower to the upper part of thechamber. The seat of greatest activity of combustion being the upperpart of the chamber, the cartridge may be violently thrown again to thelower side of the chamber, the cartridge at the same time moving forwardwith the rush of the gases following the projectile in its forwardmovement. There may thus be produced one, two, or even more (usuallyone) violent movements of a large portion of the cartridge from one sideof the chamber to the other, giving rise to serious disturbing strains,sometimes suflicient to bend the muzzle of the gun downward, especiallyif aided by the recoil of the gun upwise inclined to the axis of firing.

Second. When the cartridge is made of grain powder, perforated orotherwise, placed in bags lying on the bottom of the chamber, it is verydiflicult to light the whole cartridge simultaneously or uniformly,without which uniform time of burning and action of the cartridge cannotbe had. The first trouble gives inaccuracy of fire even with constantvelocities of the projectile, while this irregularity of lighting will.give irregular velocities, and therefore inaccuracy of fire, even withpowder of uniform construction.

Third. When grain powder is placed in bags unsymmetrically disposed oreven symmetrically disposed, unequal lighting may cause a considerableportion of the charge to be wedged into the neck of the chamber wherethe powder in an unburned and sometimes in an unlighted mass is beingforced into the bore of the gun. This wedging there of the hard-grainsmokeless powder may be sufiicient to cause a rapid and undue increaseof pressure and consequent undue rapidity of burning of the powder andcause the burst ing of the gun, the accident being laid to the qualityof the powder, which may have been perfectly good and uniform.

To avoid all three of these evils, the cartridge, Whether large orsmall, should always be placed symmetrically in the center of thechamber of the gun and lighted uniformly throughout its mass and soconstructed that it cannot Wedge in passing from the chamber into thebore of the gun.

My invention relates to cartridges for guns, to the form of grains ofexplosives, to the form and proportions of the cartridges, to the methodof building up the cartridge with a diameter less than that of the boreof the gun from which it is to be fired, to the method of holding it inthe axis of the gunin which it is to be fired, to the form of the cellsor perforations in the grains or sections of the cartridge, to themethod of securing the*parts of the cartridge, to the form of the rodsor tubes which secure the parts together, and to various details ofform, arrangement, and construction of the different parts of thecartridge, which will be hereinafter fully explained. I

My invention is illustrated by the accompanying nine sheets of drawings,in which- Figure 1 shows an end view of a complete cartridge centered inthe chamber of the gun with a portion of the end plate broken away toshow a part of a ribbed plate. Fig. 2 is a side elevation of the samewith a portion of the cartridge broken away. Fig. 3 shows a portiorrof aside view of special form of ribbed plates. Fig. 4 is an end view of acomplete cartridge with a portion of the end plate broken away to show apart "of a ribbed plate and one of the securing-bolts in section. Fig. 5is a detail of form of a portion ofa ribbed plate, showing method ofsecuring centeringlegs to the cartridge. Fig. 6 is an end view of acartridge centered in the chamber of a gun where the diameter of thechamber is greater than that of its neck at the breech of the gun. Figs.7 and 8 show a side view of the same cartridge in the chamber of the gunwhere the diameter of the chamber is greater than that of its neck atthe breech of the gun, the whole cartridge being made up of foursections for convenience of transportation and loading. Fig. 9 shows aside elevation of one section of this cartridge with a large part of thecentral portion removed to show the rods which secure the cartridgetogether. Fig. 10 is an end view of a cartridge centered in position ina gun, the two halves of the view showing two forms of outline oflongitudinally-perforated sections, a portion of a section being brokenaway to show the form of a ribbed separating and venting plate. Fig. 11shows a portion of the side elevation of the two forms of cartridgeshown in end elevation in Fig. 10, a portion of a section be- 1 ingbroken away to show a section of the central stem, its nut, and thefiring charge. Fig. 12 shows a cartridge made up of two sections andplaced in the chamber of a gun, the construction of the cartridge beingthat illustrated in Figs. 10 and 11. Fig. 13 is an end view of two formsof outline of a cartridge centered in the chamber of a gun where thediameter of the chamber is much larger than that of the neck of thechamber through which the cartridge is introduced, a portion of the endlongitudinally-perforated section being broken away to show the form ofthe ribbed separating and venting plates. Fig. 14 shows a side elevationof the hexagonal form of cartridge shown in Fig. 13, the central portionof the cartridge being removed, leaving the two ends, one of which ispartly in section.

The cartridges herein illustrated will be for the most part made up ofsmokeless powder. In all of these cartridges there is a central stem 1,usually made of explosive material, around which the main parts of thecartridge are assembled and by which they are partly or wholly securedtogether by nuts 2.

In Figs. 1, 2, 4, and 9 the cartridges are for the most part made up ofthin flat plates 3 of explosive material separated by ribbed plates 4,which are usually provided on each transverse face with a series ofribs, which form lighting and venting passages and greatly increase thesurface of combustion. In all the drawings the ribs are shown radialwith a greater number at the exterior than at the interior; but they maybe straight and arranged in any manner desired, or they may be spiral,if preferred. In Fig. 3 these ribs are shown on one side of the platesonly; but when so made it is diflicut to keep the ribbed plate flat. InFigs. 2, 9, 11, and 14 the plates are ribbed symmetrically on theopposite was faces and in each case with the ribs on one side oppositethose on the other, with the single exception of the plate 4 in Fig. 11,where the ribs on one side are shown opposite the spaces on the otherside of the plate. When so arranged, the complete combustion of theplate occurs more quickly than when the ribs are opposite each other,and this particular arrangement of ribs I have described and claimed inmy application, Serial No. 147,543, filed March 12, 1903.

The central stem 1 is shown in Figs. 4, 9 as a single tube with exteriorlongitudinal ribs to stiffen it, and while making a large stiff tube thewalls are all thin and of comparatively uniform thickness, so it willburn up quickly. In Figs. 1, 10, and 13 this central stem is formed withtwo concentric tubes connected together by longitudinal ribs, the outertube having also outer longitudinal ribs. This construction gives astiffer stem than one with a single tube. The spaces between theexternal ribs on the central tube and surrounding parts provide lightingand venting passages through which the igniting gases pass to light thatpart of the cartridge around the central tube and through which some ofthe gases formed prior to longitudinal separation of the disks pass tothe front of the cartridge. The cartridge is secured on this centralstem by nuts 2, best made of explosive material and perforated toincrease the burning-surface and regulate the time of combustion. Thecentral stems are perforated at suitable distances to allow the flamesfrom the igniting charge to pass from the interior to the exterior intothe vents or igniting-passages of the ribbed plates to ignite the wholecartridge.

The central tube 1 may be replaced or supplemented by bolts or rods 5,best made of explosive material, which are put through the plates orsections forming the main body of the cartridge, which they secure andhold together by the use of nuts 6, which are best made of explosivematerial. Six of these rods are shown in Figs. 4and 6. Unless very smallthey should be made hollow and ribbed, either or both, to aid in quickburning.

Figs. 1, 4, 6, 10, and 13 show end views of cartridges with centeringlegs, ribs, or arms 7 secured to them, which hold the cartridgecoaxially in the chamber of the gun. These could be made of wood,papier-mach, or any other suitable material; but I prefer to make themof smokeless powder, which is very strong and holds the cartridgesecurely in place. These parts 7 may be simply projecting portions ofthe plates or sections forming the cartridge; but I prefer to make themin long longitudinal strips of convenient form to be attached to thecartridge with sufl icient strength to endure transportation and loadingand so ribbed or divided up into thin plates that they will be consumedwith the rest of the cartridge to which they may be secured by leg andaround lugs on the ribbed plates. (See Figs. 5 and 13.) These strings 8are best made of some material which will burn very rapidly to loosenthe legs from the rest of the cartridge when firing takes place. Theseribbed legs or centering-supports 7 are all shown with a longitudinalcell next to the cartridge. The gases of combustion from the walls ofthis cell if made of explosive material, aided by the gases from thecartridge, force and hold these parts 7 against the wall of the chamber,leaving the cartridge free to move on with the flow of gases toward themuzzle of the gun.

I prefer to make the outer diameter of the main part of the cartridgesomewhat smaller than the bore of the gun, so that under the generalflow of the gases forward the different sections of the cartridge may bemoving forward together into the bore of the gun without damming orchoking at the front end of the chamber where it reduces to the size ofthe bore. The threads on the stem 1 and nuts 2 of explosive materialquickly burn off and allow each section of the cartridge to separatelongitudinally, distributing the parts of the cartridge with comparativeuniformity between the projectile and the breech-block. By making thediameter of the main part of the cartridge smaller than the bore of thegun and holding it coaxial in the chamber by the legs 7 largelongitudinal'spaces are left around the cartridge between the legs 7,into which the gases of combustion pass from the vents in the ribbedplates 4 and through which they pass longitudinally into the bore of thegun.

Central stem 1, the plain plates 3, and ribbed plates 4, rods 5, andlegs 7 all give practically a constant surface of combustion during theburning of the cartridge, so that a cartridge so formed does not givegood results except it be used in a gun with a very large chamber, suchas is shown in Figs. 6, 7, and 8. The legs for the cartridge for thischamber will be placed on the lower side of the cartridge only, as shownin Figs. 4, 6. 7, 8, 9, 13, and 14, to allow the cartridge to beinserted through the reduced neck of the chamber. These cartridges as awhole are usually made in several pieces for convenience in handling. InFig. 12 one is shown in two pieces or sections, while in Figs. 7 and 8in four.

The cells formed by the ribs of the central tube are of greatconvenience for introducing powder with a dififerent rate of combustionthan that in the plates 3 and 4. The action of the cartridge maybegreatly modified by putting into these cells a quick-burning powder 'toaid the rest of the cartridge in quickly giving a high pressure beforethe shot moves far in the bore of'the gun. The powder placed in thesepockets is secured by the ribbed capnuts 9, best made of explosivematerial. (Shownin Fig. 14.) In Figs. 4 and 13 these pockets or cellsare marked A. In one of them, in Fig. 14, is shown some quick-burningpowder. The reason for the use of these pockets of quick-burning powderand my claims therefor are fully set forth in another application ofMarch '12, 1903, Serial No. 147,543.

In Figs. 11 and 14 a lighting charge 10 of quick-burning powder is shownin the central stem 1, which blows through the hole in the stem from onesection of the cartridge to another, also carrying the flames laterallythrough the small holes in said stem into the powder in the cells A.These flames also blow through into the radial passages on which aids inkeeping up the pressure of the gases as the velocity of the projectileincreases in its passage toward the muzzle of the gun. Theseperforations may pass entirely through the section, as shown at B,

Fig. 11, where the sections are shown of two lengths or thicknesses, onetwice that of the other, as they are also shown in Fig. 14. Owing to theminuteness and great number of these perforations, there may bedifficulty in making them uniform in position when the plate or section11 is very long or thick, and they may be made by needles which do notgo quite through the plate from one side only,

as shown at C, Fig. 11, or by needles which do not go quite half throughthe plate from both sides, (shown at D, Fig. 11.) These holes D may beconnected by smaller holes,

as shown at E.

In most cases in perforating sections of a cartridge or powder grainsthe holes have been made cylindrical or conical, having walls ofvariable thickness. In Fig. 10 I have shown the outline of the -maincartridge as cylindrical in one half and octagonal in the other, withthe perforations in the section 11 as cylindrical; but I prefer to makethese holes hexagonal, as shown in Fig. 13, of uniform size and spacing,by which the great mass of the walls are of uniform thickness and shouldbe so proportioned as to burn through before the projectile leaves thegun. In Fig. 13 the outline of the cartridge is shown as hexagonal inone half and duodecahedral in the other. The outline of these sectionscould be changed, if desired, to give uniform thickness to the walls ofthe outer perforations.

Having thus described the invention, the following is what I claim asnew therein:

1. A plate for cartridges, constructed of explosive material, and havingupon one of its faces a series of ribs extending from the exteriortoward the interior, raised on said surface to increase theburning-surface and when combined in the cartridge, to form passages forlighting the cartridges uniformly and permitting the escape ofpowder-gases.

2. A plate for cartridges, constructed of explosive material, and havingupon its opposite faces a series of ribs extending from the exteriortoward the interior, raised on said surface to increase theburning-surface and when combined in the cartridge, to form passages forlighting the cartridge uniformly and permitting the escape ofpowder-gases.

3. A plate for cartridges, constructed of explosive material, and havingupon one of its faces a series of radial ribs, raised on said surface toincrease the burning-surface and when combined in the cartridge, to formpassages for lighting the cartridge uniformly and permitting the escapeof powder-gases.

4:. A plate for cartridges, constructed from explosive material, andhaving a series of raised surface ribs extending from the interior tothe exterior.

5. A plate for cartridges, constructed from explosive material, andhaving upon its face a series of raised ribs extending from the interiorto the exterior, and shorter intermediate ribs extending from theexterior inward.

6. A plate for cartridges, constructed of explosive material, and havingradial ribs extending from the interior to the exterior of one of itsfaces, with intermediate shorter ribs in the widened radial spacesbetween said radial ribs.

7. A plate of explosive material for cartridges, constructed with ribson its opposite faces said ribs extending from the exterior toward theinterior, the ribs on one face being located symmetrically with andopposite to those on the other face.

8. A cartridge constructed with transverse sections or plates ofexplosive material; some of which plates are provided withoutwardlyextending ribs on their transverse faces, forminglighting-passages and vents for the cartridge.

9. A cartridge constructed with transverse plates or sections ofexplosive material; some of said plates or sections being provided withribs extending from the interior outward, and the ribs of one plate orsection abutting the plane surface of an adjoining plate or section.

10. A cartridge composed of a longitudinal series of short sections orplates and plates interposed at suitable intervals, having on theirtransverse faces, a series of outwardlyextending ribs, formingigniting-passages and vents.

11. A cartridge constructed with a longitudinal series of shorttransverse sections of explosive material; each separated from adjacentsections by thin plates having ribs extending from the interioroutwardly, forming igniting passages and vents.

12. A cartridge constructed with short transverse sections having alarge number of longitudinal holes forming a burning-surface whichincreases as combustion progresses and separating-plates interposed atsuitable intervals, having outwardly-extending igniting and ventingpassages.

13. A cartridge constructed with short transverse sections having alarge number of longitudinal holes forming a large burningsurface whichincreases as burning progresses; igniting and venting passages beingprovided between the sections, and said holes extending from theigniting-passages nearly through the sections.

14. A cartridge constructed with short transverse sections each having alarge number of longitudinal holes forming a large burning-surface whichincreases as burning progresses; igniting and venting passages beingprovided between the sections, said holes extending from the oppositefaces of the sections, toward one another, reaching nearly to the middleplane, and forming igniting-passages throughout the whole section.

15. A central firing-tube of explosive material around which the mainbody of the cartridge is assembled, said tube being constructed with aseries of external projecting ribs forming lighting passages and ventsfor the cartridge and secured in the cartridge by nuts of explosivematerial screwed on the ends of the tube.

16. A central tube of explosive material around which the main bodyofthe cartridge is assembled, and secured by nuts of explosive materialscrewed on the ends of the tube; said nuts being provided with smallholes to cause the nuts to be consumed with the rest of the cartridge.

17. A cartridge constructed with a series of transverse sections orplates around a central stem, and separated from each other by thinribbed plates of explosive material.

18. A cartridge constructed with a series of transverse sections orplates around a central stem of explosive materialand separated fromeach other by thin ribbed plates, the ribs of which when the parts ofthe cartridge are assembled help to form lighting-passages and vents forthe burning cartridge.

19. A cartridge or a section of a cartridge made up principally of alongitudinal series of plates or sections separated from each other atproper intervals by thin ribbed plates and secured together by one ormore bolts or tubes of explosive material.

20. A cartridge or a section of a cartridge made up principally of alongitudinal series of' plates or sections separated from each other atproper intervals by thin ribbed plates and secured together by one ormore bolts or tubes of explosive material provided with longitudinalribs to stifien and strengthen them.

21. A cartridge provided with exterior projections to center and supportit in the gunchamber.

22. A cartridge provided with exterior centering and supportingprojections extending longitudinally of the cartridge.

23. A cartridge provided with exterior projections of explosive materialto center and support it in the gun-chamber.

24. A cartridge provided with exterior projections to center and supportit in the gunchamber, and with means securing said projections thereto.

25. A cartridge provided with centering and supporting projectionsextending longitudinally ofthe cartridge; said projections beingconstructed of thin longitudinal ribs of explosive material.

26. A cartridge provided with centering and supporting projectionsextending longitudinally of the cartridge; said projections being eachconstructed of two or more thin longitudinal ribs suitably joinedtogether.

27. A cartridge provided with centering and supporting projectionsextending longitudinall y of the cartridge; said projections being eachconstructed of two or more thin 1on gitudinal ribs of explosive materialsuitably joined together.

28. A cartridge provided with centering and supporting projections orlegs constructed each with two or more ribs resting against thecartridge and suitably joined together to form a recess or recesses, toreceive gases blowing out of the cartridge, causing the leg or ribs tobe held out against the walls of the chamber and allowing the main bodyof the cartridge to move toward or into the bore of the gun.

29. A cartridge made up of a longitudinal series of transverse plates orsections, centering and supporting legs, and means securing said legs tothe cartridge consisting of recesses formed in said plates or sectionsat suitable intervals, and strings or wires passed through said recessesand through or around the legs.

30. A cartridge constructed with a diameter less than the diameter ofthe bore of the gun in which it is to be used, and having centering andsupporting legs or projections holding the cartridge coaxial with thebore when placed in the chamber 01 the gun.

31. A cartridge constructed with centering and supporting legs orprojections; the legs or projections being separable from the body ofthe cartridge at the time of firing and the diameter of the body of thecartridge being less than that of the bore of the gun, in which it is tobe fired, to permit it to pass on into the bore without wedgingorbreaking up at the neck of the chamber in which it is fired.

32. A cartridge constructed with a longitudinal series of transverseplates or sections suitably secured together, with a diameter smallerthan that of the bore of the gun in which it is to be fired,'and havingcentering and supporting legs or projections holding it in the axis ofthe gun.

33. A cartridge constructed with a longitudinal series of transverseplates or sections suitably secured together, with a diameter smallerthan that of the bore of the gun in which it is to be tired, and havingcentering and supporting legs or projections holding it in the axis ofthe gun; the plates or sections being separable from one another underthe action of burning, whereby the burning plates or sections of thecartridge are separated longitudinally under the flowing action of thepowder-gases and distributed throughout the space between thebreech-block and the proj ectile, during the passage of the latterthrough the bore of the gun.

The foregoing specification signed this 10th day of March, 1903.

ALBERT H. EMERY.

In presence of- ALBERT H. EMERY, Jr., EDWIN S. CLARKsoN.

